The fallout from yesterday's Federal Court decision to throw out the sexual harassment case against Peter Slipper is continuing.

The Government's demanding answers about the prior knowledge which Coalition members had of the case, including the Opposition Leader.

And it wants the former Howard government minister, Mal Brough, dumped as a Liberal National Party (LNP) candidate.

For its part, the Opposition says the Government is "hyperventilating."

From Canberra, Samantha Hawley reports.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The scandal that ruined the reputation of Peter Slipper and saw him lose his job as Speaker has far from run its course.

Yesterday's damning Federal Court judgement has the Government demanding answers.

MIKE KELLY: Now this is a huge story. I mean this has all the hallmarks of an Australian Watergate.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: On Sky television, the Labor MP Mike Kelly set the tone for the day ahead, and there was no holding back.

MIKE KELLY: And we need, you know, Australian Woodwards and Bernsteins out there teasing out some of the further details: Mr Hockey's involvement, Christopher Pyne's lies and his further involvement, what did Mr Abbott know, his weasel-worded, his involvement in this.

There is a very big story to tell here.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: It was a message being reiterated on morning radio by the Trade Minister, Craig Emerson.

CRAIG EMERSON: This is a conspiracy of enormous proportions.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: This is nothing less than a conspiracy.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese.

The Government is demanding that Tony Abbott front the media to explain any prior knowledge Coalition members had about James Ashby's sexual harassment case against the former Speaker.

The Federal Court Judge, Steven Rares, yesterday threw the matter out of court as an abuse of process, declaring in his judgement that Mr Ashby's predominant purpose was to pursue a political attack against Mr Slipper, and to advance the interests of the Liberal National Party and Mal Brough, the former Howard government minister and LNP candidate for Mr Slipper's seat of Fisher.

The Finance Minister Penny Wong says the Coalition has set the standard that it must now meet.

PENNY WONG: Let's recall members of the Coalition demanding that the Prime Minister answer far less than the findings in this judgement; demanding that she front the Parliament and the press - well, perhaps, they should do the same.

TONY ABBOTT: Look, it is an honour for me to be here, and on behalf of the Coalition…

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: A world away, Tony Abbott made a surprise pre-Christmas visit to Australian troops in Afghanistan, meaning these questions are yet to be posed to him directly.

JOE HOCKEY: Labor Party said we weren't around - of course we were around. Here we are.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: In contrast to its absence yesterday, the Coalition was to be seen today.

The shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, emerged to talk about the budget surplus but was questioned mainly on the Ashby affair.

JOE HOCKEY: Look, the Government's hyperventilating about this.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: What about your meeting with Mr Brough earlier this year? What do you know about his case…

JOE HOCKEY: Nothing! Can I say to you, Craig Emerson is rapidly becoming the Comical Ali of the Parliament. He's making up things.

When I met with Mal Brough, as I have met with Mal Brough on numerous occasions, this matter has not been discussed, never been raised with me. I found out about it like the rest of Australia on the Saturday when it was published in the newspapers.

So frankly, I've said that on numerous occasions. Labor keeps repeating a lie because that's what they do in order to try and present it as fact. The bottom line is, I didn't know anything about it.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: One of the central figures in this scandal, Mal Brough, is yet to front the media. The Government points out he has been mentioned more than a hundred times in the judgement.

But the shadow attorney-general, George Brandis, believes the former Howard government minister has not been implicated.

GEORGE BRANDIS: There are no findings against Mr Brough himself, and there is no conduct about which the judge made findings which in my view would disqualify Mr Brough from being a parliamentary candidate.

He is the endorsed candidate. In my view, he will be elected, and the people of Fisher, I can assure you, are very eager to see the back of Peter Slipper.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The Government is now considering further action, including the possibility of an inquiry, but it won't say exactly what it can do.

MARK COLVIN: Samantha Hawley.

During the Federal Court proceedings, it was alleged that James Ashby and another staff member copied parts of Peter Slipper's diary to give to a News Limited journalist.

The Government Minister and Leader of the House of Representatives, Anthony Albanese, has indicated that now the court case is over, that matter could be pursued further, including by the Federal Police.

Mr Albanese says the Opposition Leader must explain exactly what he knew. He spoke to Samantha Hawley.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I think given the conclusion of the court case, it is reasonable for the Australian public to expect some accountability from Tony Abbott.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Well Tony Abbott obviously is overseas at the moment, but Joe Hockey did front the media this morning. He said he knew nothing of it, nothing before the Saturday report in The Daily Telegraph.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: The judge has found that this was a politically motivated case and it was clearly designed to advantage the LNP (Liberal National Party) and to change the political make-up of the House of Representatives.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Well that's not what Justice Rares found though. He says the action was taken to advance the interests of Mr Brough and the LNP, but he did not say that it was taken to bring down the Government of the day, which is what you are saying, which is very different, very different.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: He has said there was a pursuit, to quote the judgement, he says: "I've reached the firm conclusion that Mr Ashby's predominant purpose for bringing these proceedings was to pursue a political attack."

Now, it's very clear…

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: To benefit – yeah but he also said to advance the interests of Mr Brough and the LNP. He never said that the motivation was to bring down the government of the day - that is what you are saying.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: From the very beginning of the process, you had Tony Abbott and others calling upon Mr Slipper to step aside, trying to change the make-up of the House of Representatives, and I think people can see that themselves.

Now the idea that Mal Brough, who was seeking at the time to replace Mr Slipper as the member for his electorate could meet with Mr Hockey and these issues not come up is just extraordinary and defies common sense.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Well, Joe Hockey says they didn't, so…

ANTHONY ALBANESE: And he originally said that he just met with Mr Palmer.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Right, but he says he knew nothing of it, so you're now saying regardless of what they say, you really won't believe them anyway.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well I want them - and I think the Australian public can expect them - to come out and put exactly what their engagement on these issues was.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: The Government will now consider its options of further action here. What are the options? Could there be an inquiry? What sort of thing could the Government do from here?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well there are a range of options, and we, unlike the Opposition and the way that they've behaved on these issues, want to give it proper consideration.

Of course, we await whether independent authorities from government make decisions to pursue other issues that arise from this case, including the fact that Mr Slipper's diary was copied and given to journalists without authorisation.

Those sorts of issues are of real concern and I'm sure will be considered by the authorities now that this court case has concluded.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Right, so you think that that was a criminal act, the diaries?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, that's not up to me, but I'm sure that if someone unbeknownst to you downloaded, in your workplace, downloaded your diary and gave it to someone who sought to do you damage, that would be of real concern.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: So who would need to refer that matter to the police then?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, that's a matter for the police.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: But someone would surely need to refer that to the police first. Would that need to come from Mr Slipper, or could the Government do that?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I think the police are probably aware of it.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: But do you know then if the police are investigating?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: I don't know, and…

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: But you clearly think they should be.

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well, I think that if someone in my office downloaded my diary and gave it to a journalist without authorisation, I would regard that as theft of my property.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: Do you think there was any other criminal conduct here, or was it just unethical?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well that is a matter for the police.

SAMANTHA HAWLEY: And does the Government have any intention to referring any of these matters to police?

ANTHONY ALBANESE: Well that's a matter for the police and for the relevant authorities.